KEY SCRIPTURE: Matthew 15:14 (KJV). “Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch.”

After the Lord taught His audience about what really DEFILES a man, the Pharisees who have championed the outward expression of things, were offended. The disciples came to Him and informed Him that the Pharisees were offended with what the Lord said. The Lord Jesus said, they should not bother about them, because if the blind leads the blind, they would all perish. What an irony, the blind leading the blind!  A leader is one who knows the way, goes the way, and leads others that way. A blind man cannot know the way and so cannot be a leader. Unfortunately, many blind people are leaders. These leaders do not know the way. The way liberates and frees those who get to know it. For those of us Christians the way is a person. He is Jesus. “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”— John 14:6 (KJV)

Leading the Jesus way is not about that individual becoming significant in the society, but bringing others into their inheritance. (You become great as you make others great) Jesus said, follow me and I will make you fishers of men. To lead in the Christian concept, it is to follow Jesus. No man is leading if he is not a follower of Jesus. He is a blind leader.    The Lord does not want the blind to lead others who do not know the way, and are therefore blind. The Lord Jesus sets the grounds for knowing the way, which is the truth.

John 8:31-32 (KJV) ” Then said Jesus to those Jews which believed on him, If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

The Lord said those who follow him, the way, comes to the knowledge of the truth. The truth also sets them free. What kind of freedom are we talking about? In the literal interpretation of this word, freedom means coming out of every form of error and bondage. In our discussion of leadership freedom, it is liberation from self-centeredness, that makes the leader, focus on himself, rather than the people he is leading. The leader must bring people into their inheritance. “Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel.”— Joshua 1:2 (KJV). God raised Joshua to bring the Israelites into their inheritance. In the light of this, every Christian is called into leadership. Following Jesus, who is the way, makes you a leader of others. Matt 4:19.

CONFESSION

My Lord Jesus is the way. I follow Him. I am not blind but can see. I am therefore able to lead others into their inheritance.

FURTHER STUDIES

 Matthew 4:19 (KJV). “And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

John 9:40-41 (KJV) And some of the Pharisees which were with him heard these words, and said unto him, Are we blind also? Jesus said unto them, If ye were blind, ye should have no sin: but now ye say, We see; therefore your sin remaineth.

KEY SCRIPTURE: Matthew 15:11 (KJV). “Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.”

We continue with what DEFILES a man. In our previous study we considered what defiles a man. We saw that, the wrong unscriptural thoughts that proceed from within a man defiles him. Now, what does it mean to be defiled. To be defiled means to be made unholy. To be made common. It also means to be easily accessed by demons. The serious part of being defiled is that God separates Himself from that person. (Isaiah 59:2)

The words that proceed out of the mouth of men can seriously defile and harm them. Wrong words make men imperfect and therefore are subject to failure. “For in many things we offend all. If any man offends not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.”— James 3:2 (KJV). This verse means if one would always speak rightly, (in line with God’s word) he would not be making the common mistakes people commit. Apostle James writes in James 3:6, that the tongue is

1. A fire

2. A world of iniquity

3 It defiles the whole body

4. Sets on fire the course of nature

5.It Sets itself on the fires of hell. Many people would be placed in hell because of the wrong words they spoke.

Another moment when men seriously destroy themselves is when they are angry. Deep uncontrolled anger is an out shoot of pride. Pride always comes before a fall. Foolish, self-destructive words pour forth when one is speaking out of pride. The mistake people make is, when they speak dirty and fowl words against others, they do not know that they are rather defiling themselves. A decision to let God’s word determine your actions would save you from destroying yourself.

Any time you curse a brother out of anger and pride you have only given the evil one a form of expression through you. You would certainly pay dearly for it. Matt 5:22. Some very wonderful homes or marriages have been destroyed because the spouses allowed pride with its puppet anger to ruin it. Many of such people cannot forgive themselves after so many years of divorce. They realize their irreparable damage

You can tame the tongue by:

1 A decision to say and do, only that which pleases the Lord.

2. Quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to wrath. James 1:19

3 Always say to yourself, I do not speak out of pride, anger, and foolishness.

4. Say to yourself: I say only what God’s word says, and not what I see or feel.

If you would do these things, you would keep your tongue from defiling you and subsequently save yourself from destruction.

CONFESSION

My tongue is an instrument of praise and power, and not for cursing and insults. I speak the truth in love, and give no place to pride and anger to control me.

FURTHER STUDIES

 James 1:19 (KJV). “Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath:”

Matthew 5:22 (KJV). “But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: Matthew 15:11 (KJV). “Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.”

The Lord Jesus declared that, it is not what goes into a man that defiles him, but that, which comes out of him. Mark’s gospel explains this issue further “For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,” — Mark 7:21 (KJV) When the Lord talked about that which enters the man, He was talking about foods that we eat. In the law certain foods or animals were considered as unclean. Such laws were customary. Customary laws dealt with identification and association. One’s dress shows that he belongs to this tribe or people. They had nothing to do with the morals of the person. Moral laws dealt with one’s submission to God and His authority over that individual.

WHEN a moral law is broken, it is an act of rebellion and it also DEFILES the individual. Customary laws do not defile the individual since it has to do with foods, dresses and certain outward practices. A customary law can be defiling when one’s motive in doing it has moral implications.

TAKING this point higher, evil thoughts are suggesting of demons, that. challenge God’s authority and also DEFILES, since those spirits are called unclean or defiling spirits. The scripture teaches that suggesting of these spirits are as follows: “Casting down imaginations, and every high thing that exalteth itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ;”— 2 Corinthians 10:5 (KJV)These are thoughts, imaginations, that raises themselves against God and His word. If a Christian gives in to a thought from an evil spirit, he is under the influence of that spirit.

HOW does children of God come under the influence of these spirits?  They first deceive the child of God to justify his grounds to think that way. If he does not stop that way of thinking, he would start acting in that light. James 1 :14,15. “But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.  Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death”.

Dear brother or sister, any thought that excites the flesh against the way and word of God will defile you. 1 John 1:9 reads,” if we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness”. Sin rebels and defiles. God forgives our rebellion and cleanses the defilement caused by sin.

CONFESSION

I determine what I think about. My mind is trained to sieve through every thought that comes to me. My actions always glorify God.

FURTHER STUDIES

Romans 6:16 (KJV). “Know ye not, that to whom ye yield yourselves servants to obey, his servants ye are to whom ye obey; whether of sin unto death, or of obedience unto righteousness?”

Romans 12:1 (KJV) “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: Matthew 15:6 (KJV) “And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus, have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition.”

Human traditions are beliefs and practices of a group of people, which is passed on from generation to generation. It is also defined as acceptable norms of a group of people normally passed on to subsequent generations. The Lord Jesus rightly revealed that these traditions render God`s word ineffective if allowed to get into its way. What does these traditions entail? Traditions include experiences of men, various believes with no specific references, yet has been accepted by a group of people over so many years. Some traditions held among Ghanaians about God are; “God is very slow at throwing the stone He picked”. It means God is slow at judging His offenders. Another tradition held by most people is that, God helps those who help themselves. The truth is God helps those who trust Him.

Please note that the focus of God’s word is to glorify Him, and to bring a transformation to men. God’s word glorifies God, and blesses men. Please note, anything that fails to glorify God, will not be a blessing to men. Every law of God always glorifies the Father, and also liberates men from some form of bondage. God’s word is described as the perfect law of liberty. “But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed.”— James 1:25 Anyone who diligently sticks to the word will be liberated from all forms of bondages and will also be blessed. Now the main focus of human tradition is man and not God. Since the God factor is either eliminated or played down, it can’t also bless men.

Just consider the following tradition. SEEING IS BELIEVING. This statement gives no place to God. God is only related to on the grounds of faith. Faith believes what God has revealed in His word. Jesus said” blessed are those who have not seen yet have believed.”(John 21:29). If one would be functioning by seeing is believing then he would always be defeated. You can never be blessed, if you are relating to God’s word, with this kind of notion.

CONFESSION

I live by God’s word. I give no place to human traditions. The word of God prevails for me in all I do in Jesus’ name.

The Bible in one year.

 Colossians 2:8 (KJV). “Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.”

Matthew 15:3 (KJV).“But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?”

KEY SCRIPTURE: Matthew 14:35 (KJV).  “And when the men of that place had knowledge of him, they sent out into all that country round about, and brought unto him all that were diseased;”

The people of Gennesaret had heard so much about Jesus, and so were settled in their minds that, anytime Jesus had to come to their town, it would be a mass healing for them. These people raised their expectation for miracles through the testimonies of others. Some one’s testimony could be a key or a faith booster for another individual. Just as it is good and encouraging to listen to good news and reports about people, we should be very cautious about what we hear. “And he said unto them, Take heed what ye hear: with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you: and unto you that. hear shall more be given.” — Mark 4:24. One could suffer and pay dearly about listening and believing the wrong things. The people of Gennesaret did not only hear about Jesus, they had taken time to raise their expectations about Him.

These people on the day and moment they met Jesus, they determined how they would be healed. “And besought him that they might only touch the hem of his garment: and as many as touched were made perfectly whole.” — Matthew 14:36 (KJV) These people came to the master and said, He should just allow them to touch Him. They just touched the hem of His garment and were made whole. This reveals you can determine when you are healed from whatever may be afflicting you. All you need is a sure faith in the Lord.

In Mark 5 :25-34 we read of a similar event, in which a woman who had an issue of blood, for twelve years, heard about Jesus. She also said, if only she should touch the hem of His garment, she shall be made whole. She managed to force her way through the press and touched His garment as she said, and lo and behold, she was made whole. Many people touched the master that moment, yet she touched Him with a real touch of faith. Dear child of God Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever. You can always learn from the examples of others and approach him that way. You would have what they had.

CONFESSION

Jesus has never changed, He is the same yesterday, today and forever. As many approached Him and were not disappointed, I also approach Him in a same way and have the same results.

FURTHER STUDIES

Hebrews 13:7-8 (KJV). Remember them which have the r ule over you, who have spoken unto you the word of God: whose faith follow, considering the end of their conversation. Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today, and forever.

Mark 5:28-29 (KJV).  For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole. And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague.

KEY SCRIPTURE: Matthew 14:31 KJV” And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?”

God is a merciful God. Mercy is simply when God withholds what should have befallen us by virtue of our wrong actions and blesses us instead.  Apostle Peter acted on the word of the master in faith, yet he doubted and disbelieved the word, making him afraid, and ultimately losing his victory. In effect he broke God’s word through unbelief. His reward was for him to have sank into the water, yet the Lord overlook his sin of unbelief and saved him when he cried for MERCY.

The Lord Jesus has consistently responded to the cry for mercy. He is the one who has brought people who had no chance of significance to become men of great honour. “But the LORD was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy, and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison.”— Genesis 39:21 (KJV) Joseph, a complete stranger to the throne of Egypt became a prime minister by this act of mercy from God. Dear brother, most times our qualifications seriously fall below God’s standards, yet at the cry for mercy, He overlooks our imperfections to give us what we don’t deserve.

The cry for mercy is indeed very, very potent to completely change the game of life to one’s favour. When the Lord instructed Moses to build the ark for the temple of God, He asked him to create a mercy seat on the ark. Within the ark was the acts of rebellion of the people. These symbols of rebellion were, the tablet of the commandments, Aaron’s rod that budded, and the manna. The mercy seat prevented the father from beholding the sins of the people when the blood of the animal was put on it. “And thou shalt make a mercy seat of pure gold: two cubits and a half shall be the length thereof, and a cubit and a half the breadth thereof.”  — Exodus 25: (KJV)

Dear brother or sister it is time we come to terms with the great power of God’s mercy. Many of us have found ourselves unqualified because of so many wrongs we might have committed, and have judged ourselves, accepting that there is no good thing yet to happen to us. Please don’t judge yourself that way, call or cry for mercy and the Lord will switch His light of favor on you. When Peter. cried for mercy Jesus took hold of Him and He walked again with Jesus on the water into the ship. This time it was not his faith that sustained him, it was the faith of Jesus that kept him walking once again on the water. That is what the cry of mercy will do for you.

CONFESSION

God my father is a merciful God. He. always hears my cry for mercy. He responds with blessings of favor and He transforms my state to one of great honor.

FURTHER STUDIES

Deuteronomy 7:9 (KJV). “Know therefore that the LORD thy God, he is God, the faithful God, which keepeth covenant and mercy with them that love him and keep his commandments to the a thousand years generations;”

1 Chronicles 16:34 (KJV). “O give thanks unto the LORD; for he is good; for his mercy endureth for ever.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: Matthew 14:30 (KJV). “But when he saw the wind boisterous, he was afraid; and beginning to sink, he cried, saying, Lord, save me.”

Apostle Peter started walking on the water towards Jesus. He soon realized the waves were very boisterous. I believe he started to consider the fact that he was walking on water which was not normal, or possible. He begun to be afraid. Right at that instant he started sinking. What was happening here? He had been walking on the water because he responded from his heart to the word of the master, come. Faith was stirred up in him because of the word. His faith was challenged by the winds and the waves that was contrary to him. Apostle Peter gave in to unbelieve. The first sign of unbelieve is fear. He lost his faith as a result, and so he began to sink.

He cried unto the Lord to save him. The Lord stretched forth his hand and lifted him. He asked, why did you doubt. He then diagnosed his problem as being of little faith. What is little faith? In the parable of the Sower, the Lord described the seeds that fell on the Rocky grounds as not having deep roots, and so when the sun beat on it, it begun to die. Jesus said when affliction or challenge arise because of the word, they give up. Little faith is lack of depth in the Lord. One may not know he has little faith until adversity arise. The time to increase your faith is now, when no adversity has arisen. Give attention to hearing faith building messages. Spend time to meditate on scriptures that encourages your faith in God. Start a acting out your faith in various matters of life. By these actions you would be deepening your faith in God to face adverse situations.

In concluding, we learn that, faith in God will make everything possible. Faith can make us do that which is solely a reserve for only God to do. Faith in God would be tried.

“That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honour and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ:”— 1 Peter 1:7 (KJV). Always keep strengthening your faith, through feeding your faith, acting out your faith. The trying of your faith is to lift you higher., Maintain your ground and don’t give in to the threats of failure. You would remain a Victor and keep walking on the waters of this life

CONFESSION

My faith is deeply rooted in the Lord. I feed my faith with God’s word, and strengthen it through meditation and positive acts of obeying the word. I thank God for great exploits of faith.

FURTHER STUDIES

James 4:7 (KJV). “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”

 Matthew 14:31 (KJV). “And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?”

KEY SCRIPTURE: Matthew 14:29 (KJV) “And he said, Come.  And when Peter was come down out of the ship, he walked on the water, to go to Jesus.”

Apostle Peter after seeing the Lord walk on the water asked Jesus to ask him to come to him. The Lord immediately asked him to come. How on earth will the Lord respond that way? God is a supernatural God and would always want His children to relate to Him in that supernatural realm. (John 4:24). Apostle Peter walked on the water just as the Lord was doing. This establishes the truth that all things are possible to them that believe (Mark 9:23) Dear reader most of the lack of answers to prayers is all due to a lack of faith.

What made Peter walk on the water? When he believed Jesus’ word, ‘ come’ and acted on it, he instantly begun to do what the word said. Faith is always a product of the word of God. The power of God and miracles are not a special reserve for some peculiar people. If there should be any peculiarity, it is those who will be childlike enough to believe the word of God. This faith is not a product of a strong mental exercise, no, it is a product of the response of the heart to God’s word. So long as the word is accepted or believed and acted upon, that is true faith. True faith would always yield very positive results. Luke 1:45

Some may be asking, why is it that they believe, yet they do not have the result anticipated. Any believe that does not yield results is not of true faith. It may be of a mental accent. A mental accent is when an individual believes that God will do a thing yet does not act in line with what he believes God can do. That individual is only holding that confidence in his or her mind and not the heart. Faith in God is not an issue of the mind but the heart. “For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth

confession is made unto salvation.” — Romans 10:10 (KJV). One believes with the heart. The heart is the center of one’s being. It is what the scripture calls the spirit of man. The next fact about a result yielding faith is that it always says something in line with what he believes. In Peter ‘s case, he said, if it is you, then ask me to come. He was saying in effect that, if you ask me to come then I will definitely walk on the water. We realize that Peter believed in Jesus and spoke in line of his faith, and then acted accordingly. All these culminated in the great results he received.

CONFESSION

Thank you, Lord, for your word that establishes faith in my heart. My heart is filled with a great reverence for you, and so I am quick to act on your word, to see great manifestation of your power.

FURTHER STUDIES

  Mark 9:23 (KJV). “Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.”

Hebrews 11:1 (KJV). “Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.”

Luke 1:45 (KJV) “And blessed is she that believed: for there shall be a performance of those things which were told her from the Lord.”

KEY SCRIPTURE: Matthew 14:24-25 (KJV).  “But the ship was now in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves: for the wind was contrary. And in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went unto them, walking on the sea.”

When the disciples of the Lord were sailing to their destination, the Bible said the waves was against them and they were tossed by the winds. They were in a very critical state. The irony of this case is that, it was the Lord who asked them to go in the ship. In certain life challenges one may be in the will of God, doing what the word says, yet adversity may arise. It may be a life-threatening situation, yet never despair. This condition was definitely a satanic work that came to challenge the word the Lord gave to them. In the midst of all the troubles they were going through the Lord had seen it and decided to come to them and calm down that situation for them. The Lord came to them at the fourth watch. This was about 3 am. He will come irrespective of the moment.

The Lord came to them walking on the water, the very problem that was threatening their lives. Why didn’t the Lord pray for them at His moment of prayer, but had to come personally? He walked on the water to them because He was demonstrating the following points to them.

1.He would never leave them and us to face any crisis alone. He would always be present to see us through Heb 13:5

2.He demonstrated that He would always watch over His promise to perform it. Jer 1:12 NHEB “Then the LORD said to me, “You have seen well; for I watch over my word to perform it.” The Lord asked them to go in a ship and had to make sure they got to the end of their journey

3. He also showed that he is master over every problem, as he walked over the water, which was their problem at that moment.

What must we do in moments of trial?

1.To be rest assured of His presence with you always. Matt 28:20

2. Never to be worried about any crises you may be going through. Philippians 4:6-7 (KJV)

 Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.  And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

3. Ask him for answers or speak to the situation to submit to you in Jesus’ name and thank him for answering you. Mark 11:23

CONFESSION

Thank you, Lord Jesus, for your ever abiding presence. Thank you, Lord, that, because you are in me, I overcome every challenge.

FURTHER STUDIES

 1 John 4:4 (KJV). “Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.”

Hebrews 13:5 NHEB “Be free from the love of money, content with such things as you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you or forsake you.”

KEY SCRIPTURE:  — Matthew 14:23 (KJV). “And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone.”

Prayer is every Christian’s priority. This means prayer is, first, vital and very important to the survival of a Christian’s life. The Lord taught that men ought always to pray, and not to faint Luke 18:1. The Lord was so consistent in His prayer life that, His disciples asked him to TEACH them to pray Luke 11:1. During this very incident He had gained so much, successes in feeding the multitude and healing the sick, yet He went to pray right after all these successes. Complacency was never to have a place in His affairs. There are certain men of God who go into parties and moments of relaxation right after so called ‘successes’. Our calling is about establishing the kingdom of God in the hearts of all men. There is no ultimate success until we have achieved this. There is no need for any of us to feel we have arrived, or achieved. “Now Joshua was old and stricken in years; and the LORD said unto him, Thou art old and stricken in years, and there remaineth yet very much land to be possessed.”— Joshua 13:1 (KJV)Joshua had achieved so much, yet the Lord said there was much to cover.

Let’s consider some of the things prayer would do in our lives.

1. Prayer gives God the full right to interfere in men’s affairs. 1st Kings 18:42-46)

2. Prayer gives us an atmosphere of God’s presence which influences all our actions to please God (Luke 9:29).

3. Prayer brings God’s power to effect changes in difficult moments (Acts 12:1-12).

4 Prayer opens up our spiritual nature to the things of the Spirit. 1 Corinth 14:4.

5. Prayer builds you up spiritually and strengthens your faith Jude 1:20.

6.Prayer gives access to the formation of Christ like nature in men (Gal 4:19).

7.Prayer stirs up revival fires and miraculous power (Acts 4:24-34).

8 Prayer will raise labourers for the harvest (Luke 10:2) 9. Prayer helps in effective ministry of the word Acts 6:4.

10.Prayer will increase in us supernatural capacity so that temptations would not overwhelm us. Matthew 26:41

11.Prayer is the means by which we trample upon serpents and scorpions, so we would not be affected by their assaults. Luke 10:19.

12.Prayer brings the instruction of the Spirit. Acts 13:2

There are so many benefits of prayer, that space would not permit me to do so now.

Every Christian must be so dedicated to prayer and resist anything that would keep him or her from praying. The following are some of the things that keep some Christians from praying

1.Lack of understanding of the great benefits of prayer

2. Ineffective prayers that has not brought answers get people discouraged to keep praying

3.Laziness to pray.

4Worrying over challenging issues

5.Lack of a plan for prayer

6. Complacency about perceived victories.

7. Carnal programs like Television programs, Football game periods, Frequent gathering with friends to discuss non scriptural matters

8. Gluttony or over eating

Dear child of God, you can’t amount to anything great for God without a consistent violent prayer life. Kick out everything or anybody that keeps you from praying.

CONFESSION

I pray because God answers my prayers, I pray because prayer changes me, I pray because prayer brings revival, I pray because prayer unites me to God.

FURTHER STUDIES

  Acts 6:4 (KJV). “But we will give ourselves continually to prayer, and to the ministry of the word.”

Luke 18:1 (KJV). “And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint;”